Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltonii’
Description
If you’re looking for a lush, spreading groundcover, the Blue Rug Juniper fits the bill, with erosion control to boot! This low-growing evergreen shrub can be planted on slopes or hills to droop gracefully over ledges. Its bluish-green foliage and characteristic blue berries provide year-round color. The Blue Rug Juniper can single-handedly cover any bare spots in your landscaping, even mounded areas or hillsides. It typically grows just a foot high, so it won’t overcrowd your taller landscaping, but each plant spreads five to six feet for an impactful display.
Blue Rug Juniper is also a very low-maintenance plant, making landscaping easy on your end. Combine that with its cold-hardiness and planting versatility, and you’ve got an all around winner.
Planting
Junipers thrive in full sun to part sun and adapt to any soil that is well drained. They do like a neutral to acidic soil, so if you know you have an alkaline soil, choose an acidic fertilizer (most fertilizers for evergreens are acidic). Junipers are great “street shrubs” as they tolerate pollution and salt well. After planting, adding a layer of 2 to 3 inches of mulch will help keep the soil moist and protect the lower branches from fungal issues.
Watering
For the first few months, water your shrub every week or so. After it is established, you only need to water it during hot periods without precipitation.
Fertilizing
Fertilize when planting and yearly in early spring with a slow-release fertilizer.
Pruning
Once plants become mature, thin them out by pruning them just a little bit to allow air circulation.
| Growing Information | |
| Mature Height: | 1 ft |
| Mature Width: | 5-6 ft |
| Sunlight: | Full to Partial Sun |
| Bloom Time: | |
| Growth Rate: | Moderate |
| Grows Well in Zones: | 4-9 |
| Your Growing Zone: | 6 |
